“Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (38) Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.” John 18:37-38
This is an all too familiar passage with believers; we know of the questioning of Jesus by Pilate and have often wondered what was really going through Pilate’s mind when he was face to face with the Saviour.
Here standing before him is a true picture of the lamb being lead to slaughter. He is standing ministering to the one who will impose the force of Roman brutality upon Him. What a picture of our Saviour’s grace and love. With full knowledge, Jesus stands peacefully and confidently before Pilate, knowing that which lies ahead. We see in this conversation Jesus’ passion and commitment to the truth. “…Jesus answered, “…For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth…” Verse 37
Pilate’s answer to this statement is, “What is truth?” This suggests that he is either not clear that absolute truth exists or is stating a rhetorical question. It could be that perhaps that the world Pilate observed was oblivious or absent of truth. In turn, Jesus answers Pilate’s question with silence. Could be that Jesus knows the heart of Pilate, and the gulf that separates them was so great that the only answer to the question “What is truth,” can be nothing other than silence? Even Claudia, Pilate’s wife, had even had a dream about it. “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, ‘Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.’ ” (Matthew 27:19). It’s as if God the Father was giving Pilate every chance to come to faith in Christ, perhaps planting seed for his future.
The question “What is truth?” is a question which people have struggled with and sought to answer in every way imaginable. Many today, when confronted by the truth of Jesus stand oblivious or worse yet threatened by what truth is. They have the choice to either embrace him or reject him. The forces that often surround men sadly drive their decision in the wrong direction. Jesus is standing by to offer all men the choice to accept Him, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
The truth is, “…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) God’s words are that which holds this world together, they mold and shape us into that which God would have us to be. They offer us salvation or they will be that which condemns us to an eternity of destruction if we reject Christ.
Pilate’s response to the silence was unfortunate for Jesus because after this conversation Pilate step back outside in a futile attempt to defend Jesus before the gathered mob. The mob reinforced their accusation against Jesus by implying, that Pilate’s attempt to free Jesus made him an enemy of Rome. With this possible threat confronting Pilate, he needed some immediate help. He needed an out, a loop hole if you will, to quickly separate himself from this mob and Jesus. In doing so he stepped his way into history as the one who judged the Saviour.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thoughts on Unforgiveness: Part 8 of 8
Unforgiveness does not have to continue, there is a way to rid our hearts and lives of it. Is it easy? It sounds as if it is but it is not. It takes time, it takes patience and it takes faith in God. The last part of James 4:2 says, “…yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” We have not because we ask not, that is so true but James 4:3 continues, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” The reason we have not gotten the answer to our prayer of unforgiveness is because we pray for an answer that suits us and not God. The first person that we need to ask to forgive us is God. It is God that we have ultimately sinned against. There are really only two parties in the area of unforgiveness that you have any direct access to. That is yourself and God.
God has already promised that if you forgive He will forgive. With this in mind, we find that we only have ourselves to deal with in this area of unforgiveness. We can ask for forgiveness of others but there is no guarantee that we will get a favorable response. So what do we do then? We ask them to forgive us then we turn lose of it and place that in the hands of God. The key is to turn it over to God and turn loose of it. I did say that this is not easy but it is what God expects of us. It is what God commands us to do.
These steps that must be taken to achieve forgiveness may seem hard and focused between you and God but once put into practice (as they should) the help you receive from God strengthens us. This help from God is in the form of two very familiar five letter words, “Faith” & “Grace”.
In asking others and God for forgiveness by Faith we trust God through faith to stay true to His word and forgive us of our unforgiveness. Then are we trust God for the rest. God through Grace, gives us the peace to move on. We rely upon the Grace of God for peace whenever that person comes to your mind. Peace to help you remember the promise that you made and peace to remember the Grace of God at work in your life to keep you from returning to the mire of unforgiveness. Peace to remove thoughts of the hurt or offense. It is through Grace we are reminded of the faithfulness of God. It reminds you that you have chosen to forgive, and each time it will get easier because the Lord will give you the strength.
Once you have done this, and “choose” to walk in love through faith and obedience, in the future you can fully understand why we are called conquerors. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37) We are called conquerors, not through our strength, but through Christ.
One final note, I would like to take a moment to look at what the Bible says about forgiveness. For true forgiveness to take place we must remember that first of all we should not respond in uncontrolled anger. Second, we need to learn to use a soft and kind response and tone of voice. Notice the following verses: Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 29:11, “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” Ephesians 4:26, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”
When you are wrong, when you have done or said something wrong or offend others you need to respond immediately. The longer you delay the longer others are hurting and the greater the risk that this delay might cause them to hold unforgiveness towards you. To avoid the possibility of sin by either party you must act. First, admit that you are wrong or that you have wronged them. Second, you ask for forgiveness even if you feel that they wronged you. Ask them to forgive you for your actions. Third, you might go the extra mile and ask how you can change (if you have wronged them). Here are a few verses that might help: Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” Proverbs 21:2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” Matthew 5:23-25, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; (24): Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.” James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Finally, when you ask someone to forgive you or when someone confesses to you, and asks for forgiveness you are to forgive them. By forgiving them you are making them three promises to be sure that there is forgiveness. First: You promise to Never bring it up to that person again. Second: You promise to Never bring it up to anyone else again. And Finally: You promise to Never bring it up to yourself again. Here are a few verses which will help to support this: Proverbs 17:9, “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Colossians 3:13, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” I Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
In conclusion I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ, but our desire for the love of sin hinders us from fully experiencing that love and joy which is in Christ.
Unforgiveness does not have to continue, there is a way to rid our hearts and lives of it. Is it easy? It sounds as if it is but it is not. It takes time, it takes patience and it takes faith in God. The last part of James 4:2 says, “…yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” We have not because we ask not, that is so true but James 4:3 continues, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” The reason we have not gotten the answer to our prayer of unforgiveness is because we pray for an answer that suits us and not God. The first person that we need to ask to forgive us is God. It is God that we have ultimately sinned against. There are really only two parties in the area of unforgiveness that you have any direct access to. That is yourself and God.
God has already promised that if you forgive He will forgive. With this in mind, we find that we only have ourselves to deal with in this area of unforgiveness. We can ask for forgiveness of others but there is no guarantee that we will get a favorable response. So what do we do then? We ask them to forgive us then we turn lose of it and place that in the hands of God. The key is to turn it over to God and turn loose of it. I did say that this is not easy but it is what God expects of us. It is what God commands us to do.
These steps that must be taken to achieve forgiveness may seem hard and focused between you and God but once put into practice (as they should) the help you receive from God strengthens us. This help from God is in the form of two very familiar five letter words, “Faith” & “Grace”.
In asking others and God for forgiveness by Faith we trust God through faith to stay true to His word and forgive us of our unforgiveness. Then are we trust God for the rest. God through Grace, gives us the peace to move on. We rely upon the Grace of God for peace whenever that person comes to your mind. Peace to help you remember the promise that you made and peace to remember the Grace of God at work in your life to keep you from returning to the mire of unforgiveness. Peace to remove thoughts of the hurt or offense. It is through Grace we are reminded of the faithfulness of God. It reminds you that you have chosen to forgive, and each time it will get easier because the Lord will give you the strength.
Once you have done this, and “choose” to walk in love through faith and obedience, in the future you can fully understand why we are called conquerors. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37) We are called conquerors, not through our strength, but through Christ.
One final note, I would like to take a moment to look at what the Bible says about forgiveness. For true forgiveness to take place we must remember that first of all we should not respond in uncontrolled anger. Second, we need to learn to use a soft and kind response and tone of voice. Notice the following verses: Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 29:11, “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” Ephesians 4:26, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”
When you are wrong, when you have done or said something wrong or offend others you need to respond immediately. The longer you delay the longer others are hurting and the greater the risk that this delay might cause them to hold unforgiveness towards you. To avoid the possibility of sin by either party you must act. First, admit that you are wrong or that you have wronged them. Second, you ask for forgiveness even if you feel that they wronged you. Ask them to forgive you for your actions. Third, you might go the extra mile and ask how you can change (if you have wronged them). Here are a few verses that might help: Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” Proverbs 21:2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” Matthew 5:23-25, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; (24): Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.” James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Finally, when you ask someone to forgive you or when someone confesses to you, and asks for forgiveness you are to forgive them. By forgiving them you are making them three promises to be sure that there is forgiveness. First: You promise to Never bring it up to that person again. Second: You promise to Never bring it up to anyone else again. And Finally: You promise to Never bring it up to yourself again. Here are a few verses which will help to support this: Proverbs 17:9, “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Colossians 3:13, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” I Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
In conclusion I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ, but our desire for the love of sin hinders us from fully experiencing that love and joy which is in Christ.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Thoughts on Unforgiveness: Part 7 of 8
Once we choose to forgive, it opens us up to God’s forgiveness. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ” Matthew 6:14-15. Verse 14 tells us that if we do forgive others God will forgive us. That is one of the precious promises of God. It is as true as the warning that follows in verse 15 which we have previously looked at.
Choosing to forgive others also places us back into His grace and we once again can be in open fellowship with God. Our prayers will no longer be hindered because we free ourselves from the sin of unforgiveness. Mark 11:24, 25, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (25) And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Once we choose to forgive it frees us to be more obedient to the commandments of God. We know that when we keep His commandments we are free to love one another, and in doing so we prove that we love Jesus in our hearts and in our lives. Notice John 14:21 which says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” This verse should get us to realize that which was missing in our lives when we were in the bondage of the sin of unforgiveness. We could not love the Father because of sin and in turn He could not love us. When we choose to forgive, we once again can freely abide in Christ. Not in the darkness of sin but can be fully engulfed in Christ’s love, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:10) It is here where the Christian belongs, it is here where we feel the full extent of not only His love but the Joy of being loved by Him, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:11) Once we make the choice to forgive we must remember that we must guard our heart to prevent further attacks of the devil. Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
So you may ask, how can we forgive, how can we get past the sin of unforgiveness, and better yet, where do we get the strength to forgive? The answer to these questions is where they always were. We get them through God’s willingness to extend forgiveness of us. God forgave us through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. When he did so, He forgave us of all sin. Jesus through His death on the cross bore our sins and took our penalty for sin. He did this so that God could offer salvation to every person and with that salvation forgiveness. Because of this, we can freely go to him for help, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (ESV) Jesus is not just our example; He is our help in time of need, it is through faith, trust and obedience to Him we find and receive the grace we need to forgive others.
There is a truth or principle that runs throughout Scripture. This being that if we “choose” to forgive others God will forgave us. Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Notice the problems noted in verse 31 are all like building blocks, one adding or building on top of the other. Each one is harmful to you and those around you. Verse 32 gives us God’s answer in that we are to be kind, tender hearted, and forgiving then concludes with, “…even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
The great thing about our God is that He was ready to forgive you before you even thought about repenting. If we choose to forgive, as God forgave us, then we need to start to forgive others. We need to change our idea of forgiveness remembering that God’s forgiveness is based on God’s love, not on whether or not we see any signs of repentance or restoration from those we hold unforgiveness towards. We need (with God’s help) to be the bigger person and forgive. In our doing so, it will allow the restoration to begin with others, even with those who do not know how.
“How can I forgive them?” you ask. “They don’t even want my forgiveness, or worse yet, they are not alive today.” The truth is, it does not matter, what does matter is your choosing to love and to forgive them based on God’s love, not on their response. Forgiveness is a choice, it is a decision that we make. We either choose to walk in love as God commands ore we do not. If we choose to do so then God gives us the strength to do so, because we choose to forgive. It is our willingness to be obedient to God and in doing so we put away bitterness, anger, malice, and strife from our lives. We in turn choose to get rid of these side effects of unforgiveness by turning back to God and to start walking in His love by keeping unforgiveness out of our lives.
This process starts when we get down on our knees and seek the Lord’s face, we first ask Him to forgive us then in turn we choose to forgive “anyone” and “everyone” who has ever offended us. Ask God to bring to your remembrance anyone who you have hurt or have hurt you and you have not yet forgiven. Ask God and through faith, choose to forgive and let it go.
You say this is too hard, or that it is impossible? Remember that anything is possible with God. There is a passage in Mark that we must look at to prove a point at this time.
Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
For many, forgiveness is as a mountain that we cannot scale nor rid our lives of. In this passage we see that we can remove that mountain. All we need is faith; we just need to exercise a little faith in God that He will be faithful to His Word.
To be conclude next post:
Once we choose to forgive, it opens us up to God’s forgiveness. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ” Matthew 6:14-15. Verse 14 tells us that if we do forgive others God will forgive us. That is one of the precious promises of God. It is as true as the warning that follows in verse 15 which we have previously looked at.
Choosing to forgive others also places us back into His grace and we once again can be in open fellowship with God. Our prayers will no longer be hindered because we free ourselves from the sin of unforgiveness. Mark 11:24, 25, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (25) And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Once we choose to forgive it frees us to be more obedient to the commandments of God. We know that when we keep His commandments we are free to love one another, and in doing so we prove that we love Jesus in our hearts and in our lives. Notice John 14:21 which says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” This verse should get us to realize that which was missing in our lives when we were in the bondage of the sin of unforgiveness. We could not love the Father because of sin and in turn He could not love us. When we choose to forgive, we once again can freely abide in Christ. Not in the darkness of sin but can be fully engulfed in Christ’s love, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:10) It is here where the Christian belongs, it is here where we feel the full extent of not only His love but the Joy of being loved by Him, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:11) Once we make the choice to forgive we must remember that we must guard our heart to prevent further attacks of the devil. Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
So you may ask, how can we forgive, how can we get past the sin of unforgiveness, and better yet, where do we get the strength to forgive? The answer to these questions is where they always were. We get them through God’s willingness to extend forgiveness of us. God forgave us through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. When he did so, He forgave us of all sin. Jesus through His death on the cross bore our sins and took our penalty for sin. He did this so that God could offer salvation to every person and with that salvation forgiveness. Because of this, we can freely go to him for help, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (ESV) Jesus is not just our example; He is our help in time of need, it is through faith, trust and obedience to Him we find and receive the grace we need to forgive others.
There is a truth or principle that runs throughout Scripture. This being that if we “choose” to forgive others God will forgave us. Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Notice the problems noted in verse 31 are all like building blocks, one adding or building on top of the other. Each one is harmful to you and those around you. Verse 32 gives us God’s answer in that we are to be kind, tender hearted, and forgiving then concludes with, “…even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
The great thing about our God is that He was ready to forgive you before you even thought about repenting. If we choose to forgive, as God forgave us, then we need to start to forgive others. We need to change our idea of forgiveness remembering that God’s forgiveness is based on God’s love, not on whether or not we see any signs of repentance or restoration from those we hold unforgiveness towards. We need (with God’s help) to be the bigger person and forgive. In our doing so, it will allow the restoration to begin with others, even with those who do not know how.
“How can I forgive them?” you ask. “They don’t even want my forgiveness, or worse yet, they are not alive today.” The truth is, it does not matter, what does matter is your choosing to love and to forgive them based on God’s love, not on their response. Forgiveness is a choice, it is a decision that we make. We either choose to walk in love as God commands ore we do not. If we choose to do so then God gives us the strength to do so, because we choose to forgive. It is our willingness to be obedient to God and in doing so we put away bitterness, anger, malice, and strife from our lives. We in turn choose to get rid of these side effects of unforgiveness by turning back to God and to start walking in His love by keeping unforgiveness out of our lives.
This process starts when we get down on our knees and seek the Lord’s face, we first ask Him to forgive us then in turn we choose to forgive “anyone” and “everyone” who has ever offended us. Ask God to bring to your remembrance anyone who you have hurt or have hurt you and you have not yet forgiven. Ask God and through faith, choose to forgive and let it go.
You say this is too hard, or that it is impossible? Remember that anything is possible with God. There is a passage in Mark that we must look at to prove a point at this time.
Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
For many, forgiveness is as a mountain that we cannot scale nor rid our lives of. In this passage we see that we can remove that mountain. All we need is faith; we just need to exercise a little faith in God that He will be faithful to His Word.
To be conclude next post:
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thoughts on Unforgiveness part 6 of 8
For us to begin any return back to God we first need to know and realize that God is very serious on the matter of sin and on this sin issue of unforgiveness. Matthew 18:21-35 contains a parable on forgiveness. If we are to achieve the forgiveness of God and get out from under the bondage of the sin of unforgiveness we need to be just as serious about this matter as God is. These verses show us the seriousness of God regarding unforgiveness, “And his lord was outraged, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. In the same manner shall my heavenly Father do also to you, if you from your hearts do not forgive your brother sisters unintentional or willful offenses.” (Matthew 18:34-35)
The good news that I have for you today is that no child of God has to live with unforgiveness. When God sent his son Jesus to the earth to pay for our sins for He paid for them all, he did not leave on sin unpaid for. In doing so, He has completely provided us with forgiveness and the tools that we need to get out form the bondage that we entrap ourselves in. The help that we need in removing the sin of unforgiveness not just a spiritual need, it is in fact a spiritual cleansing, one that removes it from our lives completely. Psalm 103:1-5, “BLESS the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: (3) Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, (4) Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (5) Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
I mentioned the bondage of Satan and now I would like to mention one of the chains he uses when holds us within our unforgiveness. He gets us to believe that our sin is not that bad, after all it is not murder (at least not physically). We speak of unforgiveness but two of the links in this chain are anger and bitterness. As I have mentioned before. You might hear someone say, “So I hold a grudge against someone, it isn’t really that bad is it?” We turn to the word of God to find the answer to that question and we are confronted by James 2:10-11 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. (11) For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” If we break one law we are as guilty as if we have broken them all. We must remember that God is just and will always stand true.
Unforgiveness is one of the tools that Satan uses against us to place us into bondage. Those that are still unaware of Satan’s tools are held captive by him clouded by strife, bitterness, anger, and resentment all resulting from unforgiveness. Most people both Christian and non-Christians would say that these are not major sins (But they are sins none the less). Just because unforgiveness is not what we would classify as a “major sin” it is sin none the less. It is actually not far from being a “major sin” because of all of the damages that it causes. Remember the apostle Paul said II Corinthians 2:10-11, “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; (11) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
Starting from here we need to look at life a fork in the road. Either you keep following Satan and he drags you with him downward swirling in the vortex of sin which is the easy way out or you can choose the other fork in the road and choose to follow God’s way. This road, though it may not be as easy and at times may be extremely pressing will produce great blessings. God is ready to extend His loving arms in your direction. His love will help you to get past that which is holding you down. It is time to lay down that guilt and unforgiveness and take up the hand of God that which you need to get out of the vortex. It is time to stop spinning out of control and let the one who controls all things help you.
Many of us attempt to forgive to try to clear our conscious or to try to remove guilt. This will always fail and often leads to other problems. This is because it is fleshly and is done so without involving God or following God’s ways.
John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is the all too familiar “Escape Clause” for many believers. It is a help but it is not the cure. The problem is that we need to break free from the bondage of sin. We ask for forgiveness with unforgiveness in our hearts. We use this verse as a Band-Aid verse. We feel good because we prayed the verse, we feel good because we claim it as a promise of God, but the truth of the matter is, we shroud our unforgiveness spiritually but still hold it in our hearts.
We leave the approach to the throne just as dirty as when we came. Nothing changed with God but we feel good because we did the dance and walked the walk. In our minds we are clear but in the eyes of God we are just as vile as when we sought His face. I John 1:6 says, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (ESV). This verse is a stern warning to us prior to verse 9. So many Christians walk around with the sin of unforgiveness in their hearts yet they claim that they have no sin. We must remember the warning the God gave us in Proverbs 28:13 which says, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” This verse tells us that if we cover our sins and I am sad to say that many Christians try to cover their sin with Scripture such as I John 1:9, we will not prosper.
The good news is that no believer has to live with unforgiveness. Jesus has provided us the way for us to rid our lives of sin. It is now time to start trusting Jesus to get you out of this bondage and stop holding on to your hurt and anger. These are the anchors that help pull us down. Let them go into his hands and allow Jesus to deliver you.
To be continued:
For us to begin any return back to God we first need to know and realize that God is very serious on the matter of sin and on this sin issue of unforgiveness. Matthew 18:21-35 contains a parable on forgiveness. If we are to achieve the forgiveness of God and get out from under the bondage of the sin of unforgiveness we need to be just as serious about this matter as God is. These verses show us the seriousness of God regarding unforgiveness, “And his lord was outraged, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. In the same manner shall my heavenly Father do also to you, if you from your hearts do not forgive your brother sisters unintentional or willful offenses.” (Matthew 18:34-35)
The good news that I have for you today is that no child of God has to live with unforgiveness. When God sent his son Jesus to the earth to pay for our sins for He paid for them all, he did not leave on sin unpaid for. In doing so, He has completely provided us with forgiveness and the tools that we need to get out form the bondage that we entrap ourselves in. The help that we need in removing the sin of unforgiveness not just a spiritual need, it is in fact a spiritual cleansing, one that removes it from our lives completely. Psalm 103:1-5, “BLESS the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: (3) Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, (4) Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (5) Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
I mentioned the bondage of Satan and now I would like to mention one of the chains he uses when holds us within our unforgiveness. He gets us to believe that our sin is not that bad, after all it is not murder (at least not physically). We speak of unforgiveness but two of the links in this chain are anger and bitterness. As I have mentioned before. You might hear someone say, “So I hold a grudge against someone, it isn’t really that bad is it?” We turn to the word of God to find the answer to that question and we are confronted by James 2:10-11 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. (11) For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” If we break one law we are as guilty as if we have broken them all. We must remember that God is just and will always stand true.
Unforgiveness is one of the tools that Satan uses against us to place us into bondage. Those that are still unaware of Satan’s tools are held captive by him clouded by strife, bitterness, anger, and resentment all resulting from unforgiveness. Most people both Christian and non-Christians would say that these are not major sins (But they are sins none the less). Just because unforgiveness is not what we would classify as a “major sin” it is sin none the less. It is actually not far from being a “major sin” because of all of the damages that it causes. Remember the apostle Paul said II Corinthians 2:10-11, “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; (11) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
Starting from here we need to look at life a fork in the road. Either you keep following Satan and he drags you with him downward swirling in the vortex of sin which is the easy way out or you can choose the other fork in the road and choose to follow God’s way. This road, though it may not be as easy and at times may be extremely pressing will produce great blessings. God is ready to extend His loving arms in your direction. His love will help you to get past that which is holding you down. It is time to lay down that guilt and unforgiveness and take up the hand of God that which you need to get out of the vortex. It is time to stop spinning out of control and let the one who controls all things help you.
Many of us attempt to forgive to try to clear our conscious or to try to remove guilt. This will always fail and often leads to other problems. This is because it is fleshly and is done so without involving God or following God’s ways.
John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is the all too familiar “Escape Clause” for many believers. It is a help but it is not the cure. The problem is that we need to break free from the bondage of sin. We ask for forgiveness with unforgiveness in our hearts. We use this verse as a Band-Aid verse. We feel good because we prayed the verse, we feel good because we claim it as a promise of God, but the truth of the matter is, we shroud our unforgiveness spiritually but still hold it in our hearts.
We leave the approach to the throne just as dirty as when we came. Nothing changed with God but we feel good because we did the dance and walked the walk. In our minds we are clear but in the eyes of God we are just as vile as when we sought His face. I John 1:6 says, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (ESV). This verse is a stern warning to us prior to verse 9. So many Christians walk around with the sin of unforgiveness in their hearts yet they claim that they have no sin. We must remember the warning the God gave us in Proverbs 28:13 which says, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” This verse tells us that if we cover our sins and I am sad to say that many Christians try to cover their sin with Scripture such as I John 1:9, we will not prosper.
The good news is that no believer has to live with unforgiveness. Jesus has provided us the way for us to rid our lives of sin. It is now time to start trusting Jesus to get you out of this bondage and stop holding on to your hurt and anger. These are the anchors that help pull us down. Let them go into his hands and allow Jesus to deliver you.
To be continued:
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